MARTIN O’Neill has given his battle-weary troops a few days off to rest and recover ahead of the biggest week of Villa’s season.

With several key players not fully fit, O’Neill is making the most of a rare fixture-free midweek to allow them chance to recuperate.

And the boss hopes the likes of Gabby Agbonlahor, Stiliyan Petrov and Stephen Warnock will reap the benefits.

From Sunday, O’Neill’s men face a daunting week which could shape their season as they continue challenging on three fronts.

Villa host Burnley in the Premier League on Sunday before entertaining Crystal Palace in a fifth-round FA Cup replay on Wednesday evening.

And the hectic period ends with the Carling Cup final against Manchester United at Wembley a week on Sunday.

“We’re still there and we’ll just keep going,” said O’Neill.

“Obviously there’s the chance that you’re going to run the risk of injuries, burnout, all those type of things, but we’re still there, that’s the key point.

“I think what happens is that whatever’s next up you go to try and concentrate on that and next up is Burnley on Sunday. “We’ve played a lot of games so I’ve given the players a few days off which I think they’ve deserved because the likes of James Milner and Gabby Agbonlahor really have had no pre-season.

“So it’s a matter of resting those boys as much as we can. That’s the balancing act that we’re trying to do at the moment.”

O’Neill is optimistic that Agbonlahor who was left out of last Sunday’s draw at Palace, Emile Heskey who came off at half-time and Petrov and Warnock, who were surprise inclusions at Selhurst Park, will overcome their respective injury problems in time for Sunday.

“Gabby trained yesterday morning,” he added.

“Hopefully there is no reaction to that. Stephen Warnock, after playing, trained yesterday and was feeling not so bad.

“Emile Heskey has trained, so we will see if there is any reaction from people. It’s encouraging on Gabby’s front as much as anything else.

“Gabby’s is a soft tissue injury, I think Wayne Rooney went through him with about 10 minutes to go.

“Stiliyan didn’t do any training yesterday, but he played when I didn’t think he had any chance.”

Manchester United will have an extra day’s preparation time over Villa with Sir Alex Ferguson’s title-chasers in Premier League action at home to West Ham 24 hours before Villa’s FA Cup replay against Palace.

And O’Neill admits United’s squad is much better equipped than Villa’s to cope with the demands of challenging for multiple honours.

“Ideally it would have been fine if we’d had no midweek game leading up to Manchester United,” added O’Neill.

“They can at least spread their team, as Alex Ferguson has said dozens and dozen of times.

“He trusts his squad to go out and perform and play. He’s got players who will play midweek in the league who probably won’t figure in the League Cup final and vice versa.

“Ideally, it would have been great to have gone straight through in the FA Cup but we’re still in it and once Stiliyan Petrov equalised in the game I was as ecstatic as anybody.”